Check Out what is happening at 2023-2024 Staff newsletter FocusOnLiteracy
On a time crunch? Check out this page for all your 'need to know' information this month. We invite you to read further when you are able to check out all of the awesome things happening within our District!
Staff Survey | Closes April 23, 2024
Click here to take the survey
Regular School Day | May 13, 2024
Please be aware that the professional development day planned for May 13, 2024 is now a regular school day.
Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month | May 1-31, 2024
Join us in celebrating next month!
Mental Health Awareness Month | May 1-31, 2024
Join us in supporting our community
If you are interested in hosting a student teacher, practicum, or observation student during the Fall Semester of 2024, please complete this form.
Learn more on page 11.
Join us in giving a round of applause to Taylor Franklin! She serves our District as an Administrative Assistant at Sunset Ridge Elementary. Her team members shared that she is an excellent communicator who knows how to get the job done! They also included that she is a patient and kind point person for not only staff but also students and families. Thank you for all that you bring to the team Taylor!
Three cheers for Elizabeth Legler, an awesome School Phsycologist for Kromrey Middle School! Her peers explained that she goes beyond to make a difference for each student and their families. She approaches each goal positively and with an asset-based lens to help find creative solutions. Thank you for your knowledge and talent, Elizabeth!
It was an honor to celebrate our team members who reached career milestones during our annual Years Of Service Recognition Event! Together, we enjoyed a recognition ceremony for each building, a special performance by the MCPASD 4th-grade orchestra, yummy food from Pikkito, a Peruvian restaurant, special gifts for our honorees, and meeting our event sponsor, Burn Boot Camp Middleton
We truly cannot thank our team members enough for the dedication, passion, and friendship they have gifted to our District.
We are pleased to announce the selection of three outstanding employees for the District Leadership Preparation Pipeline. This program, a partnership between our District, UW-Madison, and two neighboring school districts, is designed to support certified staff members in obtaining their principal licensure. Thanks to a generous grant from the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, the selected participants will embark on this journey with their tuition costs fully covered.
The curriculum is designed to prepare them for key roles within our educational system – aiming for positions such as principal, associate principal, or other significant leadership positions at the building level by the fall of 2025.
This initiative underscores our District's commitment to professional development and leadership cultivation within our community. We believe in investing in our staff members' potential and are excited to support Kirsten, Sasha, and Jen on this transformative journey toward leadership excellence
The following individuals have been selected to participate in the program, set to begin in June and conclude in August of 2025:
Position:
Experience:
We are thrilled to welcome our new 4K/Early Childhood Principal Katie Kavanaugh to the MCPASD team! With over 13 years of experience working in the education field, including a background in school psychology, she brings a wealth of knowledge to her new role!
Learn more about Katie here!
April is packed with celebrations throughout our District. We are proud to participate and share our gratitude for our outstanding staff! Join us in celebrating
National Occupational Therapist Month
School Library Month
National Assistant Principal Week
Paraprofessional Appreciation Day
National School Librarian Day
National Public School Volunteer Week
National School Bus Driver Day
National Administrative Professional Day
After careful consideration, the District has decided to change the professional development day scheduled for May 13th from a non-instructional day to a normal school day for all students and staff. This adjustment is necessary to make up for the instructional time lost during inclement weather days.
This is a unique opportunity for all of us to share our perspectives and contribute to shaping the future of our District. Your feedback is crucial in helping us identify areas where we excel and areas that require our attention and improvement. Click here to take the survey.
Please click here to view the 2024 summer hour schedule.
For the 2024-25 school year, the holidays for yearround/12-month staff will be as follows. Specific holidays for those that are less than 12 full months will be listed in the 23-25 employee handbook.
We are pleased to announce that we have entered into a contract with a new substitute provider, Edustaff, starting the 2024-2025 school year Many factors were considered when moving from Teachers On Call (TOC) to Edustaff. Edustaff will provide substitutes for teachers, para educators, and administrative assistants.
It is important to note that this change does not affect how staff inputs substitute requests. The process will still go through Frontline as usual.
One highlight that we are most excited about is a dedicated District Service Representative (DSR) solely focused on our substitute needs. The DSR will be located on-site at DSC. This position has been posted through EduStaff.
We are also committed to working with our current substitutes on a smooth transition to Edustaff and they will receive detailed information soon.
If you have any questions, please contact Dr Barb Buffington, Director of Employee Services We are very excited about this new partnership!
Due to popular demand, we are reopening our District apparel online store through BSN Sports The online store is currently open and will remain so until Tuesday, April 23, 2024.
Please note:
Ensure that your shipping address is correctly listed in the billing section. This is where your order will be sent. There will be a shipping/handling charge of 10% applied to your total order.
For a smooth order process, please use the following link: MCPASD Store at BSN Sports.
Note that items tend to run small.
For any questions, please contact Axel Gonzalez at agonzalez1@mcpasd.k12.wi.us.
Spring Family Fun Day is on Saturday, April 27 at Kromrey Middle School Family Fun Day is a free event The Family Fun Color Walk/Run will start at Kromrey Middle School at 9:00 a m The focus of this color run/walk is to get outside and enjoy movement with family, rather than competition. The course will be about 1.5 milesperfect for all families! More information and sign-up can be found by clicking here.
Click here to view the May Wellness Care Package highlighting Mental Health Awareness Month.
Click here to learn more
Enjoy a leisurely stroll into downtown Middleton's colorful past with retired City Administrator and Middleton Area Historical Society member Mike Davis. The tours are free, but we appreciate reservations. Sign up online here
Saturday, April 13 10-11:30 am
Saturday, April 20 10-11:30 am
Saturday, June 8 10-11:30 am
Saturday, July 6 10-11:30 am
Saturday, August 3 (bus) 1:30- 3 pm
Saturday, August 10 10-11:30 am
Friday, August 23 3-4:30 pm
Saturday, September 28 10-11:30 am
Saturday, October 12 10-11:30 am
All tours will start from and end at the Rowley House, 7410 Hubbard Avenue (on-street parking available), which will be open at least one-half hour prior to stroll time Strollers should anticipate a 1 hour and 30-minute tour and wear comfortable walking shoes.
All ages are welcome! Join us for some historic fun!
This is a Middleton Area Historical Society event.
If you are interested in hosting a student teacher, practicum, or observation student during the Fall Semester of 2024, please complete this form. Please note: this is the only list that we will use for placements If you do not complete it, we won't be able to place a student with you
Please submit the form no later than May 1st, 2024.
Once all responses are received, the responses will be shared with building admins for final approval before being shared with local universities
If you have any questions about the process, contact Sherry Smith | 608-829-9026.
If you carry MCPASD Group Life Insurance, the new plan year starts in July, with the premiums affecting June pay cycles. There are a few things that could affect your deductions.
When you first enroll, your benefit amount is an estimate based on a projection of your earnings for a year rounded up to the next $1,000. After the first year, your benefit amount is based on your highest calendar year ’ s actual earnings
Monthly premium rates are based on the benefit amount and your age on July 1, when the plan year starts.
Under 30 - $.05 per $1,000 of benefit
Age 30-34 - $.06 per $1,000 of benefit
Age 35-39 - $.07 per $1,000 of benefit
Age 40-44 - $ 08 per $1,000 of benefit
Age 45-49 - $ 12 per $1,000 of benefit
Age 50-54 - $.22 per $1,000 of benefit
Age 55-59 - $.39 per $1,000 of benefit
Age 60-64 - $.49 per $1,000 of benefit
Age 65-69 - $.57 per $1,000 of benefit
The monthly rate for Spouse and Dependent coverage is $1 60 per unit You can carry up to two units of this coverage. One monthly premium covers all eligible dependents.
MCPASD offers Life Insurance through The Wisconsin Public Employers Group Life Insurance Program. ETF Life Insurance Program Summary.
Who is eligible?
If you are eligible for Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS), you are eligible for the group life insurance plan.
Life insurance does not have an open enrollment period. You can enroll during the first 30 days of WRS enrollment (most cases this is your first day of employment) or make limited additions within 30 days of a qualifying life event (marriage or birth in the family)
If you missed your initial opportunity or would like to increase your coverage, you can apply as a late enrollee. You will have to complete an Evidence of Insurability form. The form has a section that needs to be completed by the employer, so please contact your benefits specialist if you are interested.
The Statement of Benefits is a summary of your WRS retirement account available each year in mid-April. It helps you keep information up to date and track the growth of your retirement account.
Look over the statement and make sure that your information is correct: contact information, earnings, years of creditable service, employee contributions and beneficiary designations. If you find incorrect information on your statement, contact us right away. ETF recommends filing your statement for future reference.
Employee Trust Fund (ETF) provides many learning opportunities to Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) participants. If you are interested in learning more about your WRS retirement benefits, please review the links below:
Webinars May and April
ETF: Member Education
ETF: New Podcast Episode
This is a reminder that teacher contracts for the 2024-2025 school year will be electronically sent through Skyward by May 15th and will need to be signed by June 15th per WI State Statute. Teacher contracts were approved on the March 8th board agenda Teachers will receive an email when they are ready to be signed through Skyward
If you hold a support staff position that has a 10-month calendar (Para Educators, Food Service, Bus Drivers, some PSSP staff, etc ), you will electronically receive a Letter of Reasonable Assurance on or before the last day of this school year, 6/7/2024.
Again, these will be electronically sent through Skyward. You will be prompted to check the appropriate box. One box is for you to notify us that you accept the employment terms and are returning for the 24-25SY; the other box is for you to notify us that you do not intend to return to the 24-25SY, which is your notice to us of your resignation These letters will have a deadline, and it is critical that you access Skyward to complete the form by that deadline.
If you hold a support staff position with the district which has an 11 month or a 12 month calendar, you will receive a Letter of Assignment prior to July 1, 2024. This will be sent to you through Skyward, meaning at some point prior to 7/1/2024, when you sign into your Skyward account you will be prompted to view your 24-25SY Letter of Assignment. This will be your copy only, and another copy will be placed in your personnel file. No signature is required.
Skyward Tip of the Month | How to see if you have any late unsubmitted timesheets
Sign into Skyward If you see a small yellow circle with an exclamation point in the upper-right area of the screen, this means you have at least one late unsubmitted timesheet.
Timesheets must be submitted to your supervisor at the end of each work week (by Monday morning at the latest). Late timesheets can cause errors in your pay, so please make every effort to submit them on time.
If you see this, you have a late unsubmitted timesheet This is also a link to this late timesheet, so simply click on the yellow circle-exclamation mark to be taken to the area within Skyward to submit the timesheet.
We are nearing the end of our renewal work for this school year Our curriculum team will meet for a final time on April 24 and will decide on our curriculum adoption for K-8. Our team has evaluated materials with our rubric, conducted site visits, and gathered information from other school districts using the curriculum to inform our decision.
After our decision is made on April 24, we will begin ordering materials for use in the new school year Staff will receive initial curriculum training in August, with continued training across the PD days in the school year. In addition to PD days, we will also be utilizing existing PLC and staff meeting times for support.
We are grateful to all the staff who have served on this team and to all others who have supported this work and provided input
Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed in the United States since 1949 (NAMI, 2023). The purpose of the month is twofold: 1) to clarify and remind us that mental health is something we all have, and 2) to educate and reduce the stigma that surrounds mental illness.
According to the Wisconsin School Mental Health Framework (2021), mental health “includes both the absence of illness and the presence of high levels of wellbeing.” Mental health is a state of being in which an individual typically (CDC, 2018):
Has a higher ratio of positive emotions and moods compared to “negative.” Feels fulfilled and satisfied with life
Demonstrates resilience or the ability to cope with everyday stressors. Accurately realize their abilities and strengths. Makes contributions to the greater community.
May is a time to reflect on your own mental health: Are you in a state of wellbeing?
If so, what supports and routines are in place? How can you ensure you prioritize continuing these? If not, what is one thing you can isolate and set a personal goal around? Maybe it is (to name a few)
Adding 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise to your week.
Naming 3-5 things you are thankful for each morning when you wake up.
Setting up your bedroom for better and longer sleep.
Purposefully and explicitly scheduling time for your friends and family.
Turning off your email notifications after 5 PM.
Making time for your spirituality (e g prayer, meditation, singing, spending time in nature , etc )
Are you finding it hard to prioritize yourself?
Often we as educators can push our own needs to the side in order to elevate those we support and care about. According to this Mental Health America worksheet, we can start noticing and changing our thoughts around this habit. First, acknowledge current thoughts and expectations that are getting in the way of making time for yourself Then, rewrite one that supports you and your self-care needs If you are finding it hard to do this for yourself, think: if a friend came to me with this need, what would I say to encourage them? That is also how you should be speaking to yourself.
Mental health is dynamic and fluid
It is expected to change, progress and flow throughout our lifespan. Someone experiencing a mental health challenge at one point in time will not always be experiencing that challenge in that way. People heal, transform, and recover from these challenges. “This is the norm, not the exception.” (WI DPI, 2021). So what do you do if you are experiencing a mental health challenge and you want more support?
Schedule an appointment with the MCPASD Employee Health Clinic or talk to your primary care provider
Call our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at 1.877.256.9302
Contact the Dane County Behavioral Health Resource Center to learn about local services
Just need to talk to someone in confidence? Try a “warmline. ”
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, Call or text 988
Live chat at 988lifeline.org
Text “MHA” to 741-741
Take care and be well!
-Melanie “Mel” Hill, Social Emotional Learning & Mental Health Coordinator